Resolution of Madagascar crisis in headway: SADC

ANTANANARIVO, April 18 (Xinhua) -- The Southern African Development Country (SADC) delegation, which ended its five-day mission in Madagascar on Thursday, declared headway in efforts to resolve the political crisis in the Indian Ocean island country.

Led by the former Mozambican president Joachim Chissano, the five-member delegation arrived here on Sunday to check the implementation of the roadmap to end the political crisis in the country and check election preparations.

"I met all signatories of roadmap and chiefs of institutions in Madagascar during our stay here. Most of them desire to respect the electoral agenda already announced by the independent national electoral commission (CENIT)," Chissano told a press conference.

"Some politicians asked to postpone to September the presidential election already set for July 24, but they need to maintain it in 2013," Chissano said.

"The politicians are worried on the meeting of Churches Council (FFKM) opened on Thursday, but I met church leaders who told me not having any intention to postpone the election," Chissano added.

The SADC delegation head said the FFKM held the meeting just to create a good atmosphere during the elections.

On the candidacy of Lalao Ravalomanana, the wife of former president Marc Ravalomanana, Chissano said Malagasy politicians prefer to assign it to the special electoral court, which had the doubt to judge it.

Chissano said former president Ravalomanana decided not to go back before the election, as a result of SADC mediation, to creates appeasement between stakeholders in the country.

Madagascar has been in political crisis since December 2008, following a stalemate between Ravalomanana and Andry Rajoelina, mayor of Antananarivo from 2007 to 2009.

Ravalomanana handed over power on March 17, 2009 to a directorate military, which transferred the presidency to Rajoelina.

Malagasy politicians signed a SADC-brokered roadmap in September 2011, under which the presidential election is set for July 24 and and the legislative vote for Sept. 25.